Camden police arrest man with loaded gun during drug bust

CAMDEN — An armed man who ran from police, then assaulted an officer, was arrested in Whitman Park Wednesday, along with three other individuals who face drug charges.

Just before 1:30 p.m., officers observed several people engaged in drug activity near the corner of Cope and Sheridan streets in Whitman Park, police said.

Patrolmen Scott Breland, Bruce Evans, Christian Jeffries, Curtis May, David Orler and Matthew Wilson, who were on foot patrols addressing quality of life issues nearby, were provided descriptive information about three suspects observed by officers engaging in drug transactions: Charles Brown, 19, of Camden; a 17-year-old male from Camden; and Ivory Coleman, 20, of Camden, said police.

Those three were arrested by Jeffries, May and Wilson, who allegedly found Brown and the 17-year-old to be in possession of marijuana and oxycodone, police said.

Breland, Evans, May and Orler attempted to stop another group of three male pedestrians, one of whom — Omar Hymon, 32, of Camden — allegedly had been observed by officers engaging in a drug transaction, said police.

Hymon ignored orders to stop and ran from officers who chased him on foot to the backyard of a home on the 1200 block of Sheridan Street, police said.

The officers caught Hymon as he tried to scale a fence and attempted to handcuff him, at which time Hymon allegedly resisted arrest and assaulted Orler as they wrestled to the ground. As they fell to the ground, the officers secured a gun that Hymon allegedly was holding — a .32 caliber Savage Arms handgun loaded with seven rounds.

Hymon was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon and certain persons not to have weapons. The certain persons charge is predicated on a prior conviction for drug distribution.

Hymon was remanded to the county jail with bail set at $250,000 cash.

Brown was charged with loitering to commit a CDS offense and possession of a prescription legend drug. The 17-year-old was charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams. Coleman was charged with loitering to commit a CDS offense.